Network device information collection and change detection

Abstract

Mechanisms for network device information collection and change detection are disclosed. A data Collection Engine is coupled to a database and a network having comprising devices such as switches and routers. The Collection Engine receives a network device name and queries the network to locate the named device. Based upon a device type identifier, the Collection Engine identifies the class of the device and a group of information sets that describe information needed from the device. The Collection Engine requests information described by the information sets and stores it in the database. A change detection mechanism compares the received information to a prior version in the database, and develops metadata describing changes in the versions. Accordingly, only a subset of all the information that a device can deliver is received and stored, based on the needs of an application using the mechanisms. A carrier wave may carry software program instructions that carry out the foregoing functions from a remote location.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method of collecting information about a managed device in a data network for storage in a database, the managed device comprising a plurality of MIB values stored in one or more Management Information Bases, comprising the steps of: (A) obtaining a device type identifier from the managed device by sending an SNMP request to the managed device based upon basic device data to the device over the network, testing whether the device is contacted in the network, and receiving an SNMP reply containing detailed device data relating to the device;   (B) mapping the device type identifier to one or more MIBs that are associated with the device type identifier, wherein the MIBs are selected from a larger plurality of MIBs based on the device type identifier and a device class into which the device type identifier is classified;   (C) obtaining current values for only the mapped MIBs from the managed device using an SNMP request; and   (D) storing said current values in a current MIB value table of the database in association with the device type identifier.   
     
     
       2. The method recited in claim 1 further comprising the steps of verifying that the device type identifier obtained from the managed device is known to the database by (E1) looking up the device type identifier in a device type table stored in the database; and   (E2) when the device type identifier is not found in the device type table, mapping the device type identifier to a plurality of sets of the management information bases that are associated with a generic device type, wherein the plurality of sets of management information bases is selected from a larger plurality of the management information bases based on the device type identifier and a device class into which the device type identifier is classified.   
     
     
       3. The method recited in claim 1, wherein step (B) comprises the steps of: (B1) looking up the device type identifier in a first table of the database that maps the device type identifier to a plurality of identifiers of the management information bases; and   (B2) retrieving, from a second table of the database that stores a plurality of sets of the management information bases, a subset of said plurality of the management information bases that corresponds to the plurality of identifiers of the management information bases.   
     
     
       4. The method recited in claim 1, wherein step (B) comprises the steps of: (B1) looking up the device type identifier in a Device Type to MIB Set table of the database that maps the device type identifier to a plurality of MIB Set identifiers; and   (B2) retrieving, from a MIB Set table of the database that stores a plurality of MIB Sets, a subset of said plurality of MIB Sets that corresponds to the plurality of MIB Set identifiers.   
     
     
       5. The method recited in claim 1, further comprising the steps of: (F) comparing values in the current MIB value table to corresponding values in a prior version MIB value table in the database;   (G) detecting changes that characterize the current MIB value table when compared to the prior version MIB value table; and   (H) generating a report of the changes.   
     
     
       6. The method recited in claim 5, wherein step H comprises the steps of: for each change detected in step (G), storing information characterizing each change in columns of a change table in the database, including:   a Table Identifier value that identifies the MIB that has changed;   an Association value that identifies a location in the MIB at which the change occurred;   an Attributes value that describes a type of the change;   a Previous Value derived from the prior MIB value table; and   a Current Value derived from the current MIB value table.   
     
     
       7. The method recited in claim 1, further comprising the steps of: (F) receiving a set of prior values for the MIBs from the database;   (G) receiving a compare key;   (H) matching the set of prior values to the current values according to the compare key;   (I) when a change is detected in step (H), storing metadata describing the change in a change table.   
     
     
       8. A method of collecting information about a managed network device in a data network for storage in a database, the managed device comprising a plurality of MIB values stored in one or more Management Information Bases, comprising the steps of: receiving a device identifier;   mapping the device identifier to a device type value;   mapping the device type value to a device class value;   mapping the device class value to information identifying a subset of MIBs that are supported by devices within a device classification associated with the device class value;   retrieving from the device, current MIB variable values for only the subset of MIBs that are identified; and   storing the current MIB variable values in a database.   
     
     
       9. A method as recited in claim 8, wherein retrieving current MIB variable values comprises the steps of: querying the device for detailed device data and receiving detailed device data from the device;   retrieving stored full device data from the database;   mapping the device class value to the detailed device data;   comparing the stored full device data to only those values in the detailed device data that map to the device class value; and   generating a change report based on differences that are found during the comparing.